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Recap: Brumbies vs Highlanders LIVE | Super Rugby
By RugbyPass
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Super Rugby match between the Brumbies and Highlanders at GIO Stadium.
Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
The high-flying hosts will head into this clash will an abundance of confidence as they remain the only undefeated Australian side in the competition following impressive victories over the Reds and Rebels.
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This week, Dan McKellar's men stay in Canberra to face the struggling Highlanders, who looked very rusty in their 42-20 thumping at the hands of the Sharks in their season-opener at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin last week.
As such, the Brumbies are favourites for this clash, which is understandable given they will field a largely unchanged side from what they conjured throughout the first two rounds of the competition.
However, McKellar has found enough room to inject three new players into the fray in the form of loosehead prop James Slipper, lock Darcy Swain and openside flanker Will Miller.
That trio have replaced Wallabies front rower Scott Sio and second rower Caderyn Neville, who have both been demoted to the bench, while tearaway flanker Tom Cusack has been dropped from the starting team completely.
Prop Thomas Ross, loose forward Lachlan McCaffrey and midfielder Len Ikitau are the other fresh faces on the Brumbies' bench.
Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger, meanwhile, has mirrored his opposite and sprung a total of three changes to his run-on side.
An ankle injury has ruled promising lock Pari Pari Parkinson out of this fixture, allowing ex-Chiefs second rower Jesse Parete to make his first starting appearance for the Highlanders.
One-cap All Blacks flanker Dillon Hunt is also gone from the starting side, with his place at No. 6 taken by World Cup returnee Shannon Frizell, while rookie wing Tima Fainga'anuku has paid the price for an unconvincing debut, and replaced on the right wing by utility back Sio Tomkinson.
A further three changes have been made on the bench, with Hunt joined by ex-Brumbies lock Jack Whetton and former Connacht and Ireland U20 prop Conan O'Donnell, who is in line to make his Highlanders debut.
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Latest Comments
The winner breaks into the (key) top 6 in the World rankings and locks the other out (Australia will lead Scot by 1.6 points if they win). Australia won't get a chance to improve until next years RC so this match is vital. Scotland must hold the line for their part.
Australia are obviously well capable of beating Ireland but with accumulating fatigue becoming a factor I expect an all out performance from Australia tomorrow with Ireland viewed as a bonus.
It will be hopefully a cracker but this is the type of match that Scotland must start winning to take that step up that they crave.
Go to commentsAgree.
Ireland are off their feet at the majority of their attacking rucks. Its so common that commentators don't even notice it. We hear about "clear outs" and "clean outs", which don't exist in the Laws (the correct word is "binding"), and the obligation to "endeavour to stay on your feet" is nowhere to be seen.
Ireland is not the only team to adopt this coached flopping and diving at attacking rucks, but its clearly part of their quick ruck ball strategy.
No need for law changes here. We just need refs to award penalties when players don't endeavour to stay on their feet.
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